Film Vault / Painted Stages
From 1997 to 2002, I worked as a traditional background artist at Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios—part laboratory, part graduate school—a place where learning was embedded in the culture at every level, and where celebrated artists often gave lectures or led workshops.
The background artists explored atmosphere, color, and presence through painting in a wide range of styles and techniques. We studied master artists—from Claude Lorrain and Andrew Wyeth to Chinese watercolorists, the Harlem Renaissance, the quilts of Gee’s Bend, and many great filmmakers. We painted portraits of one another, shared influences, and carried forward a tradition of collaboration and curiosity.
Each film involved a team of 10–12 background painters, creating over 100 scenes each. The work shown here was hand-painted from start to finish—produced within a larger pipeline involving directors, designers, layout and effects artists, and animators—all contributing to a singular vision.
The background crew included seasoned artists—many with established illustration careers, and one, a renowned ceramicist from China.
Because background art occupies most of the screen, it fundamentally defines a film’s sense of scale and production value. A careful investment in background artistry is essential to a film’s visual impact.
Backgrounds communicate emotion without dialogue or character. In that sense, they’re like the pieces in the Inside and Outside galleries—meant to hold attention, not attract it.
Imitation of Life
2013, Watercolor and Gouache
Independent short film, Duck Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Color Key for Imitation of Life, watercolor and digital media, Geraldine Kovats.
Created for the 55th Venice Biennale, Imitation of Life was conceived and directed by Austrian artist Mathias Poledna. He assembled a small crew of veteran Disney artists, including animation director Tony Bancroft, to help realize the film’s vision.
These paintings helped define the film’s atmosphere and stylistic authenticity.
Exhibitions:
- Austrian Pavilion, 55th Venice Biennale (2013)
- Dreamlands, Whitney Museum of American Art (2016)
- Estate, Galerie Buchholz, Cologne (2015)
Permanent collections:
- LACMA
- The Art Institute of Chicago
Background art for Imitation of Life, watercolor and gouache, Geraldine Kovats.
Five Animated Features
Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios, Orlando, Florida (1997–2003)
From The Making of Lilo & Stitch (screenshot).
Lilo & Stitch
2002, Watercolor
When Chris Sanders made the call to return to watercolor, our Orlando team jumped at the chance. For me, it was thrilling. I hadn’t worked in watercolor since art school, and suddenly we were reviving a legacy not seen since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Painted as one of Lilo’s “photographs”; a rare moment where the background artist painted characters into the scene.
2002 Walt Disney World Feature Animation Exhibition, Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (Layout by Andy Harkness).
Walt Disney Animation Studios, The Archive Series: Layout and Background, Edited by John Lasseter.
Established the painted look of Hawaiian vegetation.
Another of Lilo’s “photographs”; ending sequence.
Color key, acrylics
I appreciate John Singer Sargent’s advice on painting with watercolors:
“Make the best of an emergency.”
John Henry
2000, Scratchboard and Acrylic
Inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, this film used both scratchboard and quilt designs. Illustrator Brian Pinkney generously shared his scratchboard technique in a workshop—seeing his process up close gave us a whole new respect for the medium.
Color Key Concept for intro; acrylics.
Brother Bear
2003, Acrylic
Led by painter and production designer Xiangyuan Jie, our team set out to create lush, painterly scenes that conveyed a sense of "big country." Director Bob Walker expanded the aspect ratio to support this vision.
Mulan
1998, Acrylic
Under production designer Hans Bacher, backgrounds were infused with the simplicity and grace of traditional Chinese watercolor painting.
Establishing background for the Emperor’s Palace. Includes 26 multiplane layers revealing interior levels and staircase.
Tarzan
1999, Acrylic
The background art in Tarzan required unprecedented detail. Nearly 50 background artists across Disney’s Los Angeles, Orlando, and Paris studios worked to create the density and lushness of the jungle, more than on any prior Disney film.
The photo below was taken for an in-house project, a funny Mulan “high school yearbook.” Our department, affectionately called the Art Club, is shown here with Background Supervisor Bob Stanton dressed as muse.
A few months earlier, I had asked Bob if I could paint his portrait. That painting rests beneath my hands in the photo. Bob passed away in 2021 and is deeply missed. He was a widely respected painter and mentor in the industry.
